In the operation of a conventional slitting and rewinding machine, a relatively wide web of material, such as paper or plastic film, is passed through a slitting station where the web is slit longitudinally across it's width into a number of narrow strips which then are wound into rolls on cores carried by a mandrel. When the cores are fully wound they are transferred to an unloading station and the strips are severed so that their leading ends can be wound on empty cores carried by another mandrel. Certain existing strip severing arrangements utilize a plurality of rotary cutting knives corresponding in number to the strips to be severed. Other existing arrangements utilize a pair of elongated knife blades extending across the machine and operated in a scissor-like manner. The prior arrangements are expensive, require sharp cutting edges and occupy considerable space on the machine.
A strip-severing knife arrangement made in accordance with this invention requires a minimum number of parts, can operate in restricted locations and results in a positive, clean severing of the strip of material.